'Neruda requiem aeternam' is part 8 from the Canto general, a oratorio for soloists, choir and orchestra. The 8 texts are poems by Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), written to honour this communist Chilean poet; the oratorium as a whole is dedicated to Yiannis Didilis, a pianist, and friend and businesspartner of Theodorakis.

In memoriam Ourania, & Nikolas, Michail, Christos, Leonidas. Theodorakis' requiem is based on the lyrics of John of Damascus for mezzo, soprano, basso, tenoro, choir, children's choir and symphony orchestra. Insofar as Theodorakis has always sought to express a profound humanitarianism, whether philosophical or political, through his music, it makes perfect sense that he would at some point (1984, as a matter of fact) turn his attention to the liturgy surrounding the ultimate philosophical and political solution, death. His text is by the 6th Century John of Damascus, and this is, and sounds like, an Orthodox litany, having little to do with the Catholic Mass (though in his use of soprano soloist and boychoir, Theodorakis departs from Orthodox musical practice). Orthodox church modes and polyphony are very much in evidence; in other respects the music is typical of the composer: big, richly scored romantic textures and tonal harmony, with emphasis on directness of emotional appeal and no concern for sounding fashionably "modern" whatsoever.

After Kassiani (1942) and Holy Mass (1982), I composed last year the Requiem (1984). The musical language that I used for this work is completely different from the one used for the two previous ones. I believed that the introduction of the female voice - as a soloist - and the sound of the children's choir were necessary. The contrast of the young voices, as an aggressive presence of life towards death helps us to pass over the vise of an inevitable phenomenon. The text belongs to John Damaskinos. It is one of the most important intellectual, philosophical and poetic achievements and helps us to find the real dimensions in the world order of the things. It invites us to delve into ourselves in order to find "the light that burns" and the real and deep meaning of the human being. I dedicate this symphony to the dead of the battle of Kalavrita.